Previews

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

Spiffy:

Single and multiplayer action in multiple vehicle battles.

Iffy:

Varied vehicles may throw gameplay balance into question.

Mechs have made many appearances on the computer and big screen and will soon be commanding Xboxes everywhere if Microsoft has any say in the matter. MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf expands gameplay beyond the limits to include other vehicles and battle armor, creating wxciting new possibilities for both the single and multiplayer game.

While players of the series were happy to continue towering over large buildings in mechs, the developer wanted to realize the scope of the giants by stepping outside of this protection to face the battle on the ground. The classic two-legged giants will walk the streets and take down any threat, but players will be able to step out of their mechs, suit-up in powerful battle armor, then command tanks, aircraft and other vehicles with some serious firepower.

While they are on the ground, players will finally be able to observe the sheer enormity of the towering robots, although they won't be entirely defenseless. The power armor is fitted with some serious weaponry, and players can utilize their grappling hook to jump up and jack a suit. Kick the pilot to the curb, grab the controls, and start blasting.

The possibilities of gameplay don't end with the mechs. There are tanks, aircraft, and other heavily-armored vehicles to use in order to complete objectives and cooperate with other players. Though there is a compelling single-player game, the multiplayer mode is where the real action's at. There is plenty of battling in the multi mode, which makes this game feel a little like Battlefield, but with a lot more vehicle options. When a player enters a vehicle, the shell immediately changes to reflect the player's team colors for easy identification.

Hard as nails

Though the number of players for online is not yet finalized, there will be at least as many as in the previous title, and the gameplay will be expanded much further. Tanks can cloak, making them invisible to opponents, and the cooperative possibilities expand as aircraft can pick up a cloaked tank, creating a deadly and invisible flying sniper. Players will no doubt quickly discover new strategies to help them destroy their enemies.

During the demo, Microsoft used the system link capabilities of the Xbox to get players involved, and they quickly became skilled at taking command of the many choices of firepower. Once the game hits shelves in January, the action is certain to explode online, as well as for the lone offline player. With all of the additions to MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, you can be sure that we'll be the first ones on the mechwagon!